Pagan Poetry
by Gretchen Marcobie
Summary: The story of the final battle of love and loss. Sakura isn't the girl who loved him anymore, she's the woman who loves him.


The loud crash of thunder rolling in was all that was heard when they saw him. He stood stoically at the top of the rubble, staring at them with eyes that were piercing them.

"Sa-Sasuke. Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he bore his fangs.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted in command as she put her hand on his shoulder. "I know we've been waiting for this day when he would be with us, but you have more important things to deal with, like saving this world. Now go with Sai and Kakashi-sensei-"

"But what about you?" He asked, his voice filling with concern.

"Don't you worry about me," she said as she pulled a glove over her hand and tightened it. "I'll show him what three years has done to me and what you've always wanted to say." She smiled that prize winner at him and he was comforted in it. If anyone was going to show him up it ought to be her, especially for the fact that Naruto felt the desire to kill him, no matter what.

Naruto looked at her for a moment. "When you've knocked some sense into him, come and find us, okay?" He grabbed her roughly and held her for a moment.

"It won't take long," she said as he let go. "Go on now, go!"

Sai, Kakashi, and Naruto leapt up and away. Sasuke's eyes stayed focused on Naruto as he went towards Madara.

"Don't even think about it!" Sakura was beside him in an instant her hand pulled back, ready to punch, when he moved behind her.

His chuckle at her filled her with the old feeling of being useless. "What makes you think you are any match for me?" He grabbed her waist and held her close. He took a deep breath, causing Sakura to feel his body against her more so than before. "Is this something you've been longing for, Sakura?"

His intoxicating voice was one of the things she had always found some pleasure in and it was not yet gone from her. The hot breath on the back of her neck sent chills up and down her spine, freezing her in place. The tender feeling of his fingers picking up strands of her dirtied hair from her smack down with Karen added to her longing.

He was surprised when he heard the soft sound of a sob escape her lips. The sound grew a little more and he saw a tear roll off her cheek. He let go and backed up, sure of himself.

'This is it." Sakura turned around and her fist smacked him across his beautiful face. "Hell Yeah!"

Sasuke stumbled back, rubbing his cheek. "What in the…?"

Sakura smiled at him innocently and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't you know anything about kunoichis?" She let out a soft laugh. "We're natural actresses." She walked beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He didn't flinch. He couldn't let it get to him.

"What are you doing now? Acting?" His eyes glowed a shade of red she had never seen before. He noticed her heart skip a beat when she saw them.

Her gloved hands caressed his neck and one found its way to where his curse seal used to be. She loved the reaction of shock from him. "No. I'm not acting. I've always loved you. You already knew that, though, didn't you?" A louder crash of thunder was heard in his response.

He pushed her away. "I don't see how you don't love me anymore. You're still acting. Don't lie to me again or I'll kill you."

"Well, with a cute boy like Sai on our team, how am I supposed to resist? And ever since Naruto admitted his love for me, who am I to say no to that?"

"Stop talking." Sasuke walked away from her. She walked towards him, but stopped when Kusanagi was at her throat.

Without a second thought, she grabbed the sword and moved it away from her. He quickly pulled it back, cutting her hand. She watched it bleed and showed it to him. He watched her as she became focused. A green light glowed and surrounded it. It stopped bleeding and she flexed it showing that it was as normal as can be.

"No matter what, Sasuke-kun, I will show you I'm not a nuisance, that I am useful!" She sent a chakra charged fist at the ground, forcing him to jump out of the way. "Get back here and fight me like you would Naruto! I'm not a weak lovesick puppy anymore!"

He came towards her with his hands forming seals. He quickly tapped the ground and out sprung a group of snakes. They looked at him then at her and came hissing at her.

Again she cracked her fingers and let a fist strike the ground. The newly formed canyon pulled the snakes into its trenches and then covered them with the rocks from its splitting. In mocking form she blew the dirt off of her glove then stretched a little. "Don't worry. If I break your legs, I'll fix them at my own discretion."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. 'She's never been this cocky before, never so…confident.'


End file.
